Yehlet: The Land of Princes
Yehlet. Or Hanoc if you call it by its old name. I read the stories of my ancestors who despised its existence. I met the grandchildren of the man they despised. And yet I feel none of that hatred. I feel admiration for what the heroes from that time built. If times were different, I would've liked to have met them. But all I can do currently is marvel at the country they helped to build. You'd think princes all getting a say in politics would lead to one of the most chaotic countries in the world... and you're not wrong. Yehlet's princes bicker, debate, and fight amongst themselves. But should raiders come down from the north or demons try to make a move, they will band together and destroy that threat. Yet... what will happen when the Demon threat is gone? Where will the Crown Princess and her fellow princes turn when the north is dealt with? Will they turn that fury inward and destroy each other? Or will they look to the south and west once more? And will I have to take up my bow and fight against them just as the Tempest King did a millennium ago?
Structure
The Princes of Yehlet
As a principality, the "Princes" of the country have a direct say in the politics of the greater whole. Each prince comes from the 38 provinces. However, the Orc tribes would be often ignored or outvoted if not for the efforts of the Leowyn Council, especially with the Little Conquerer wanting to slaughter all their ilk. Each prince runs their own region but they are called together for national and international matters through the League of Princes. When needed, they meet up in the capital and have a meeting that could last anywhere from a couple of hours to months on end. There is always shouting and debate but depending on the sides, these talks go through without issue. However, when these talks get heated, princes will call their battles and fight over trivial issues.
The League of Judges
The Princes, to make it seem like they follow the laws, created a league of judges to dispense justice across the country. They even have the power to prosecute the princes themselves officially. Of course, that hasn't always been the case. More often than not, these judges are bribed to look the other way on cases. However, a faction of Judges have risen known as the "Children of Cathasaigh" to deal with corruption within their ranks. They've faced staunch resistance but are adamant in their goal to be unbias judges "for the good of the realm".
Public Agenda
The Little Conqueror has proclaimed that Yehlet will be the country to push back the barbarian hordes from the north and reclaim the glory lost by the idle and pathetic leaders that rule now. And if anyone gets in her way, they'll be another victim to face the wrath of the Princes.
History
In the waning days of the Warring States period, there were two major kingdoms in the east: The Kingdom of Hanoc and the Empire of Imuyueg. A war for the east eventually erupted between the two. Descendents and children who grew up during the war on both sides claim their kingdom won. What was known is that either the Queen of Hanoc or the Emperor of Imyueg decided to fracture Hanoc into principalities due to the need for independence and self-rule from the Lords who ruled in the territory. Some say this was to weaken the east in preparation for invasion from the North. Others say this was to make the east stronger since conflict would keep the warriors experienced for the horrors to come.
When the invasion did come, the princes of Hanoc fought valiantly against the hordes that descended upon them. Leading the way was the Council of Leowyn with the last heroes of the age, having known this was coming. They fought against the darkness as best they could and in the final days of the Long Night, they ventured north with other heroes from across Takira. Most of them would not return, the ones who did were scarred and changed by what they saw. But the foundations of what they left behind would rebuild what was lost in the centuries of darkness.
As such, the princes came together to form a principality, though one that seemed to have blends of a confederation as well. Led by a grandson of the Denaris line, they grew but not without problems. Facing issues of piracy and conflict all around them, they were often targeted by raids. It came to a head when Orcs, seeing their weakness, invaded around the 15th century. Enraged by their weakness and tired of seeing what she saw as savages destroying their land, the Little Conqueror went to the capital and killed Prince Denaris, ending what could've been another Denaris dynasty. Many expected her to hunt down the other members of the Ruse-Denaris line but she let the Granddaughter of the Sorcerer King and other lines live, letting them flee to Leowyn or wherever they wished to go. It was through this that the very name of Hanoc was stripped away, renamed as the principality of Yehlet.
Now, Yehlet stands as a gateway to the north with a powerful warrior as their Crown Princess. One that despises Orcs, regardless if they are with demons or against them, with a passion. Many wonder whether this may signal the end of the principality and the rise of the warlike nature that has been buried deep along with the bones of the last Warring States period. Whatever the answer, it could be overshadowed or even decided by the darkness that rises in the north, for the Demons still remember the nation that birthed their greatest banes and some of the greatest heroes that the world had ever known.
Demography and Population
Yehlet is home to 1.2 million people, the majority existing in lands near the capital and south of it. Most of the population is rural as they are used to the constant ebb and flow of the ownership of urban areas by the princes. However, Yehlet's holdings also flow into the sea and even Undrek, or the Underdark through treaties with the Tritons and Sea Elves and countless clashes with evil factions in Undrek.
Elves and Half-Elves make up the majority of the population as Yehlet was one of the main landing zones for them when they were thrown out of the Fey lands. Halflings, Tritons, and Tabaxi make up a sizeable chunk of the population in Elvish lands. A rarer sight is the Alomri who mainly stay near the forest or coasts. In the north, Orcs are the dominant population as their tribes wander the lands or settle down in tribal or even urban areas. Due to the rough conditions they deal with, Orc life spans and even their half-orc children can live much shorter lives compared to the people south of them.
Territories
38 provinces reside within Yehlet on the surface with a prince staking a claim on each of them. The northern provinces belong to the Orc tribes who often compete and fight amongst themselves to look for the next prince. In the other lands, the princes decide their next heir through either lineage or election, depending on the preference of the ruling powers. However, they also own territories within the ocean, grabbing land from the undersea kingdoms for their own benefit. Those territories are always in flux as threats such as rival factions and even monsters can always take those away.
Many of these lands are from its original incarnation as the Sorcerer King's Empire and later the Kingdom of Hanoc, such as the capital, Lyfasethath, and the Jade City of Leowyn. The people who rule over those provinces often have more of an ego as a result but there are those who understand and appreciate how lucky they are that their family or their people are allowed to be rulers of the region.
Religion
- The Court of Light and Darkness: At first an Elven pantheon specifically, this religious order has grown to accept gods from other faiths such as the Raven Queen and the Triton Faiths.
- The Lupin Faith: The Lupin that are still left in the eastern lands still hold true to their faith even in the face of persecution
- The Draconic Faith: The Dragon Gods have also taken root thanks to Dragon Knights and Dragon Fera having a stable population in the region
Agriculture & Industry
Thanks to the Fey and many druids of the East, Yehlet is known for its verdant fields and numerous forests that scatter its territories. With their aid, harvests have always been plentiful, even in the face of volcanic ash and the cold temperatures that bear down from the north. They have even started growing variants of crops that can grow despite long periods of night and cold alike.
Trade & Transport
With access to popular land and sea routes, Yehlet has become just as engrained in trade as its neighbor, Yterius. Two major land routes come through their territory: one that comes from northern Yterius and flows towards the capital and towards Steamer and another that flows from southern Yterius and connects Leowyn and the capital to as far as Newden in the west. Due to Leowyn's placement, it often is the gateway to the other princes, giving the Selhora council plenty of power in the province.
Thanks to their underwater friends, Yehlet benefits from protected routes... should their territory and allies favor them. In the centuries following the Long Night, raiders both above and below water began attacking trade routes on both the west and east coast. The tritons and sea elves were sapped from their own fights against the Demons and there was a noticeable number of them corrupted by those from the Abyss. And as such, they attacked trade routes, where the skills of the Jade Knight were easier to avoid. Even with the Sea Warrior's rise, Yehlet still faced their own problems with pirates.
Eventually, the Storm Nymph took an old idea she and her father, the Jade Knight, came up with. Taking a legion of the best sailors, Leowyn crafted a number of vessels and went out to sea. Like the fury of a storm, they hunted down the pirates who raided the northern shores. The seas ran black and red with the blood of demonic creatures and demon worshipers alike. And thus the Azure Knights were born. And have been defending trade routes along with the Sea Warrior since.
Infrastructure
Yehlet has some of the best infrastructure in Takira thanks to the foundations set by the Sorcerer King, the Queen of Hanoc, and the Lions of Leowyn. While only two major roads go through the kingdom, there are countless trails that allow ease of access for residents who have lived in the kingdom long. At the same time, there are ports with excellent defense and health and easy access to water. All these improvements came from a time of death and war ironically enough. As often said in Leowyn, "The Foundations of the East are built upon the bones of the Heroes of Hanoc."
Divided Yet United
Founding Date
The Warring States period
Type
Geopolitical, Principality
Capital
Alternative Names
The Principality of Yehlet, Hanoc
Demonym
Yehletians
Leader
Government System
Oligarchy
Power Structure
Confederation
Economic System
Barter system
Currency
Copper, Silver, Gold, Platinum Coins (Marked by Elven or Orcish sigils)
Major Exports
Fish, Grain, Meat
Major Imports
Magical Components, Metals
Legislative Body
The League of Princes
Judicial Body
The League of Judges
Official State Religion
Neighboring Nations
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